sutherland



I. SUTHERLAND.

CINEMATOGRAPHY APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1920.

Patented J an. 4, 1921.

UNITED sfrmzs PATENT osm ne,

ISAAC SUTHERLLND, *OF MELBO'URNE, VCTORIA, .AUSTBALI.

CINEMATOGRAPHY.,

Application .filed March 3.2, 1920.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, IsAAo SUTHERLAND, a subject of the King of Great Britain, of Normanhurstf Collins Place, Melbourne in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have inventecl certain new and useful lmprovements Relating to Cinematography of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to the art of cinematography and ains at an improved method of achieving a projection result in which presentation upon the screen is effected, simultaneously 'With the pictures, of reading matter, as for instance, titles, sub-titles, dialogue east or other desirahle explanatory matter.

At the present time the projection of such matter is usually eiiected separately, and in a` photo-play production it has been estinoated to the applicant that 'from ten to twenty per cent. of the film length is absorhed in the provision of this separate clisplay oi' explanatory reading matter.

Consequent upon this absorption of ln it is usnal to resti'ict the display of dialogne in order to reduce film production costs.

'Broadly stated the present invention consists essentially in 'the provision of means Whei'ehy a portion of the negative film Cllll'- ing each camera exposure is protected against exposui'e, and the portion on a positive film registering therewith during production of the latte? is exposed to a negative of the reading matter.

In a practical manne' this provision can be effected by the combination in 'the camera With the sensitized negative film of a transparent maskng material having one poi tion or strip colored to prevent passage of objectve rays from the lens to the negative.

The exposed negative film is then mashed to protect the previously exposed poi' tions and to eXpose 'the before-mentioned strip portion to the reading matter. The subscquent development produces a negative having a picture and reading matter combined thei'eon and from the positive produced therefroin a simultaneous projection of picme and reading matter is efi'ectecL Alternatively as' the negative When de= veloped Will have a clear space at the masled portion, When printing a positive film therefrom a negative of the readin matter is interposed between the clear space on the negativo and the positive film.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patentecl J ai, 1921.

Serial no. 365237.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention as applied to cinematograph camera- Figure l being an interier view of portion of the camera. e

Fig. 2 an enlarged vertical section through the gate of the camera and Fig. 3 an elevation of the masi Fig. i is a fragmentary View oi the positive fihn.

Refernng to these drawings the unexposed negative 'film 1 is drawn oil reel 2 and 'fed down by a pinion 7 through the gate casing 3 past the exposure opening 4: in line With the lens of the eamena in the nsnal Way.

Similai ly the positive film 5 hearing titles and 'the like is drawn off an additional reel 6 and feel down by a pinion 8 through the gate at the real of the positive film and in contact therewith.

Immediately behind the opening 4 and in 'front of the negative film is located an adjustable inasl: E) which ;may be in the form of a rotatable disk nounted on a spindle 10 and engaging at its edge 'Wlt-ll a grooved cii'culai' guide ll. This disk nask is provided With the required number of 'transparent panels 12 all of which except one bear inasking portions 13 Where required.

Means are provided :tor retaining one or the other of the panels 12 opposite the opening 4 of the gate casing and as illustrated a spring catch 14 engages With one or other of a series of notches 15 'formed in the edge of the disk. .Suitable means are also provided :for conveniently rotating the disk, as for instance by extending the axial spinclle through a light tight opening in 'the real' of the miniera and terminating same With a milled dish 16.

At a suitable distance below the opening there is provided a compartment 17, at the 'hear of the films, which contains an. electrically lighted laInp 18 controlled by a ;suitable switch (not illustrated). The

end of said compartnent is open to direct the rays of light against the back of the positive iln.

Q This positive film is made opaque except whose the letter peess panels are printed thereon. black printing is required on the nes' film transparent letters are printed e .ie positive film, bot Where White lettering is C shown et A :in

a strip of i anii-ed the transparent strips 1; .are fonned With black pmntng thereon as If the positive film' according t the preferred arrangement is the same length as the negative film and it is not required to have letter press on certain portions of the negative film-the corresponding portion of the positive film is dense black as shown at B in Fig. 4:.

Alternatively a shorter positive film may be used only containing the letter press in which case it is caused to travel through the gate casing When the corresponding portion of the negative film is passing through same.

The positive film is previously prepared With the required letter press before the images are photographed and it and the negative film are fed simultaneously through the gate. When, for instance, a title such as An Idyl? .is required to be printed at the top of the negative, the mask disk is rotated till the panel With the Inasking strip at the top is opposite the gate opening so that as the negative film passes said opening, blank strips Will be left unexposed above the ima es.

As said blanks come opposite the open end of the lamp conpartment the positive film hearing the printed title is immediately behind the same so that the lamp light passing through the positive film prints the title on the blank transparent strip on the negative film. i

The two films are rewound in the usual manner each on a separate reel, not illustrated, provided in the camera.

Although the photographing of the titles and the like as Well as'of the acting is effected in a' camera as above described, t

Will be evident that the scenes may be first photographed in conjunction With the mask and the negative film before development subsequently caused to travel in unison With the positive letter press film past a lamp box as above described or after negative development and during the printing of a positive film to be used in a projecting machine, the film containing the titles or the like interposed between the developed negative and the said positive.

I claim 2-- l. Improvements in cnematograph apparatus comprising a cnematograph camera, an adjustable mask nounted at the rear of the 'ate opening of said camera, a positive film earing letters or matter to be produced on anegative film, means to feed both said films in unison through the gate With the positive film behind said negative film and an open ended compartment below said gate opening containing a lamp.

2. Improvements in cnematograph apparatus c'omprising a cinematograph camera, a rotatable mask arranged at the rear of the gateopening and provided With transparent 'panels With masking portions, means to rotate said disk to bring any panel therein opposite the gate opening, a positive film hearing the matter to be produced on said negative film adapted to be Wound' off on an additional reel in the camera and fed in unison With the negative film behind said mask and an open ended lamp compartnent pat the open end of which both films are 'e Dated this &th day of February A. l). 1920.

ISAAC SUTHERLAND. 

